Emplacing experience

ABSTRACT

We propose that understandings of the role of space and place in everyday life are of value to designing the environment of Role Playing Games (RPGs). We compare aspects of space and place in spatial experiences while moving through terrains in physical and gameworlds. We describe innovative methods to capture egocentric experience in the physical world and themes that emerged in the data that inspired consideration of game-worlds. We speculate on the opportunities in gameworlds for interaction with the environment and other players that can strategically shape player behaviour whilst simultaneously maintaining players' agency in the emergent and ongoing authorship of place. Our perspective draws on a dialogical approach [1] to understand the many factors influencing the meaning associated with a place. We are intrigued by potential relationships between players' pragmatic, fictive stabilisation of place and aspects of concepts of self and identity.

References

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Index Terms

• Applied computing

  • Computers in other domains

    • Personal computers and PC applications

      • Computer games

• Human-centered computing

• Information systems

  • Information systems applications

    • Multimedia information systems

      • Massively multiplayer online games

• Software and its engineering

  • Software organization and properties

    • Contextual software domains

      • Virtual worlds software

        • Interactive games